You may have been to one of their events—perhaps the Holiday Bazaar or Festival of Tables? Or, maybe you’ve shopped at the Pink Pantry Coffee & Gift Shoppe or stopped at the Information Desk with a question.

Bernice Jensen has volunteered her time to Owatonna Hospital’s Auxiliary in a number of different ways and in various areas since 2008. In addition to the above, Jensen volunteers her time as a Membership Chairman on the Board of Directors and has organized “Grab Bags,” featuring different goodies for the Steele County Free Fair.

“After a more than 30-year career as the office manager/controller at Owatonna Ford & Chrysler, I wanted to do something more meaningful to fill my time,” says Jensen. “It was a tap on the shoulder that got me involved.”

Another volunteer encouraged Jensen to get involved with Owatonna Hospital’s Auxiliary. From there, she started in the Pink Pantry Coffee & Gift Shoppe—where she still volunteers—and formerly the Information Desk.

Jensen explains that some of the best parts of being a volunteer is that you get to “meet a lot of people.”

“I look forward to coming,” she says. “I get to work with a lot of the same people which I enjoy, but I also get to see lots of people come through the doors that I don’t get to see very often.”

Outside of volunteering, Jensen says, “I am very social.” She sings with Golden Tones, out of SeniorPlace in Owatonna. Plus, she works part-time at her church and spends as much time with her grandchildren as she can.

Jensen is married and has two children—one son, one daughter and five grandchildren. Her son works in Owatonna selling security equipment, and her daughter is a pastor in New York.

What would she tell someone who’s thinking about volunteering? “I enjoy it,” she says. “It’s a wonderful opportunity to meet people and is something to fill my days and keep me busy…and it’s also given me a sense of being part of something very worthwhile.”

Jensen has more than 1,600 lifetime volunteer hours served for the Auxiliary.